Spring tool



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SPRING TOOL Filed March 3, 1947 I{as FLOYD M. MYERS 1 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,465,030 SPRING TOOL Floyd M. Myers, Willow Grove, Pa. Application March 3, 1947, Serial No. 7325020 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to hand tools and more particularly to an improved tool for the manipulation of otherwise inaccessible springs.

An object of this invention is to provide such a toolwith cooperating means to engage, retract, advance, extend and install such springs. Another object is to provide means for the like manipulation of such springs and similar objects regardless of certain intervening obstructions. Further objeetswill more plainly appear from the detailed specification and drawings herein presented in exemplification but not in'lim'itation of the present invention. L ke reference char acters designate like parts in the accompanying drawings which representdiagrammatically in,

f Fig. 1 a longitudinal view of theassembled tool with end-portions of the handle shown partly in longitudinal cross section,

Fig'.'2 anenlarged fragmentary view in profile of the opera'ng bit shown in engagement with a springin retracting'position,

Fig. 3- a like viewofthe bit in a spring proi f s t o T Fig. 4 an enlarged-viewin profile of a modified formof the'bit with the retracting spur arranged in a left oblique position,

Fig. 5 alike viewof-the spur arranged in a right oblique position,

Fig. 6 an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of the combination bit showing the arrangement of its wedge action edges,

Fig. '1 a somewhat enlarged view in perspective of alm'odification comprising a grip arranged to slide on the handle of the tool shown in Fig. 1.

Various means for handling springs have formerly been suggested such as the tool shown in U. S. patent to J. A. Allievi, 2,042,287, patented May 26, 1 936, but heretofore 'none have solved the problem presented by theneed for the rapid repair, adjustment and placement of coil springs in, for example, radio receivers, clocks and other assemblies, without the necessity of taking such assemblies apart.

The improvement afforded by the present invention has met this need by providing a single tool capable among other things of engaging such a spring for retraction or advance without changing the alignment of the tool. The advantage of this arrangement is instantly apparent to all repair men.

' A preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the tool it] comprises an insulated handle II, a bit member l2, slideable grip member 46 and a probe member 2|. The

foot N5 of bit member l2 may be held in the for the bit member l2.

handle I l by means of a suitable bushing l1 and a collar 45. The foot I6 is arranged to engage the handle H and the bushing H with a removable forced fit. Or if desired the members l2, 2|, 26 and 21 may be fixed to the handle by vari-: ous means well known in the art. The insulated handle prevents the passage of current from the working end of the tool.

The bit I2 is provided with a blade-like'head portion I 3 which may be formed by flattening the end portion of the shank l2. The head portion l3 terminates in the combined spur I5 and grooved portion providing a notch |4. As shown in Fig. 6, the spur I5 is preferably provided with a bevel edge l5, and the outer edge l3 of the groove member 14 is also beveled. The spur |5 is convex in form to assist the wedge action of the bevel edge l5 when it is inserted between the coils of the spring 25.

The probe member 2| may be joined to the handle H in a manner similar to that described I The foot 20 of the probe 2| may thus be held'in the handle II by means of a bushing l9, and a collar l8 fixed to the probe 2|. A removable forced it may be provided between the bushing l9 and the foot 20. The probe 2| is provided with an elbow portion 23 terminating in a. blade member 24. An insulating coating 22 is preferably provided for the probe 2| and if desired a like coating may be applied to the bits I2, 26, and 21.

Modifications of the'bit |2 are shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 which respectively reveal a left oblique bit 26 and a right oblique bit 21.

In Fig. 4 the bit 26 comprises the foot portion Hi, the collar 45, the arm 28, the groove portion l4 and the left hand spur member 3|].

InFig. 5 the bit 21 preferably comprises the foot IS, the collar 45, the arm 29, the groove portion l4 and the right hand spur member 3|. The arm members 28 and 29 are preferably formed so that they are inclined from the normal longitudinal center line of the tool at an angle within the range of approximately 5 to 30 degrees.

The grip 46 shown in Fig. 7 preferably comprises a shank 41, a hook member 48, and jaw members 49 and 55 arranged to slideably grip the handle II in the opening 5|. When the grip 46 is in position on the handle Hi the shank 41 extends outwardly so that the hook 48 points toward the groove 14, and so that the shank 41 extends in the same general direction as the bit I2.

The operation of moving a spring by a pulling action is shown in Fig. 2 wherein the spur I5 is 3 hooked into the loop of the spring 25 so that the loop is firmly held in the crotch 32 of the spur I5. This permits pulling the spring even if one or both ends of the spring are free or not free.

The operation of moving a spring by a pushing action is shown in Fig. 3 wherein the grooved portion I4 engages the loop of the spring 25 so that the spring 25 may be pushed forward even if one or both ends of the springs 25 are free or not free.

In the event that coil springs 25 are not provided with engaging loops, then the edge I5 may be forced with the wedging action of its bevel curved edge between the coils of the spring so that the bit I3 may be subsequently turned so that the spur I5 or the groove I4 may then engage one of .the coils of the spring 25. In a like manner the bevel knife edge I3 may also be employed.

Another unique advantage of the present invention is also shown in Fig. 2. Therein it will be seen that without changing the alignment of the tool II] in the hand of the operator, it is possible with 'a slight reciprocating longitudinal motion to alternately pull or push the spring 25 by alternately pulling in engagement with the loop of the spring by means of the spur I5, and subsequently pushing by engaging the adjacent coil of the spring by means of the grooved porticn I 4 of the bit I3.

In operation the modification embodying the left oblique arm 28 shown in Fig. 4 is used to work springs obstructed by an element in an assembly located on the left of the aperture available for manipulation. In a like manner the modification embodying the right oblique arm 29 shown in Fig. 5 operates to avoid obstacles on the right of the aperture available for mani-pulation.

In operation the grip 46 shown in Fig. 7 is arranged to slide along the handle I I when pushed by the finger of the operator. In this manner the hook 48 may for example engage the end 52 of the spring 25 shown in Fig. 3, while the other end of the spring 25 is held in the groove I4 of the bit I2. When thus engaged the grip 46 may then be pulled back by the finger of the operator. This will stretch the spring 25 so that it may be held in a stretched position for installation in its assembly. The pull of the spring 25 on the hook 48 creates a tendency in the grip 46 to tilt which causes the jaws 49 and 50 to exert a binding action on the handle I I,

which aids the operator in holding the grip 46 in its retracted position.

The probe 2I operates as a fishing implement to retrieve parts loose in an assembly, and the blade 24 operates to scrape contacts clean for soldering. The insulation at II and 22 protects the operator from electric currents in assemblies electrically connected.

The overall length of .the tool I0 shown in Fig. 1 has been found to be preferably approximately 10 inches for radio use but varying lengths may of course be used for various jobs. The probe 2I may preferably be made of Number music wire which may subsequently be dipped in heat resistant insulation 22. The elbow 23 may be ground to a knife edge at 24. The handle II may be made of approximately inch diameter tubular fiber or plastic material of required insulating characteristics. The bits I2, 26 and 21 are preferably made of No. 36 hard steel round stock and the head portions I3, 28 and 29 are preferably flattened and the edges I3 and I5 beveled and sharpened. The foregoing qualities have been found desirable for use in radio assemblies but it is obvious that they may be modified for use in other types of electrical assemblies, automotive assemblies, clock work assemblies, and all mechanisms requiring the manipulation of otherwise inaccessible springs and like objects.

While the foregoing exemplifies a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is intended to include all modifications and embodiments within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

An implement for installing each end of a longitudinally coiled spring in its operating engagement and for subsequently removing each of said ends from said engagement, said implement comprising in combination: a longitudinally disposed handle portion; a bit member arranged to extend longitudinally from one end of said handle portion; a slideable grip member arranged for longitudinal sliding movement along said handle portion toward and away from said bit member; said grip member comprising: a jaw portion arranged to loosely and slidably hold said grip member on said handle portion; and a rearwardly facing hook portion extending forwardly from said jaw portion toward said bit member; said bit member comprising a blade-like head portion having therein a forwardly facing notch, said notch being positioned when in operation to hold one end of said spring while the other end of said spring is held by said hook portion.

FLOYD M. MYERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,518,068 Horn Dec. 2, 1924 1,862,326 Altice June 7, 1932 1,889,167 Anderson Nov. 29, 1932 2,042,287 Allievi et a1 May 26, 1936 

